


Maybe in Another Reality

by Quinnion



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blow Jobs, Dirty Talk, Drinking, Drunk Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends With Benefits, Hurt No Comfort, If You Squint - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron)-centric, Keith drinks his feelings away, Keith/Shiro (Voltron)-centric, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, One Night Stands, Pining Keith (Voltron), Post-Canon, Power Bottom Keith (Voltron), Rebound Sex, Rough Sex, Season 8 Spoilers, Shiro (Voltron) is Oblivious, Smut, Teasing, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unrequited Love, Weddings, kind of, or is it???, this doesn't really have a happy ending, this is how I cope with the disappointment that was vld s8, vent fic, well a little bit of comfort, you know The One™
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 07:29:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17219588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinnion/pseuds/Quinnion
Summary: Shiro asks Keith to be his best man right before he's about to confess his love.Keith tries to forget Shiro with alcohol and sex (it doesn't work).Shiro is forced to face the fact that maybe he didn't choose the right path.





	Maybe in Another Reality

**Author's Note:**

> Who else was wildly disappointing with the Voltron finale? Well time to get even more sad >:D I really didn't like the way they ended the show, especially with how many of the character arcs didn't make sense (Shiro's in particular), and this is how I'm dealing with it. I'm probably gonna write a happy fix-it fic where Shiro and Keith get married tho! Let me know if you're interested in me adding another chapter to this. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Thunder roars outside, the turmoil in Keith’s heart much louder, and rain pellets the clouded glass windows. He ignores the burning of his throat and brings the glass up to his lips, snapping his head back and letting the rest of the vodka glide smoothing down his throat. Keith sighs and sets the glass on the bar, slouching slightly in his seat as he waits. 

It doesn’t take much longer for Shiro to show up. Keith invited him out so he can finally lay all his cards on the table before leaving for an extended mission with the Blades. Shiro takes the seat next to him, his gleaming smile enthralling Keith as always, “I see you started without me,” he says as he glances at the nearly empty bottle of liquor.

Keith forces a laugh. “Yeah, I got here early,” he replies simply, his words slurred. 

“So, you said you wanted to talk?” Shiro shifts in his seat, resting his hand on the counter.

With a slow nod, Keith gathers his wits, “Yeah. I need to tell you something. I-” something catches his eyes and he’s drawn to Shiro’s hand, “What’s that?” he whispers, pointing at the ring on his finger.

Shiro laughs excitedly and lifts up his hand, the diamond ring shimmering, “I haven’t told anyone yet but Curtis proposed yesterday!” he exclaims, grinning, “I wanted you to be the first to know.”

Keith’s heart seizes up in his chest and he forgets how to breath, “And you said yes?” he manages. 

“I mean, I wouldn’t be wearing it I said no,” Shiro replies playfully, “Are you okay? Your face is really pale…”

While the world falls away under him, Keith keeps his composure and forces a smile, “I may be coming down with something. But nevermind that. Congratulations, Shiro,” the words taste like poison on his tongue, “I hope he’ll make you happy.”

“Of course!” Shiro exclaims too loudly and too quickly. There’s an extended silence. Keith struggles to process the news, his fists clenched so tight they’re white. Shiro clears his throat, “You wanted to talk, remember?”

Keith’s gut twists in the most painful way and he lifts his head, “It doesn’t matter anymore,” he says as he stands slowly. His legs are wobbly under him, his head spinning from alcohol and shock, and he takes out his wallet to pay his tab.

“Wait Keith, before you go I need to ask you something,” he says as he takes his arm gently. Keith’s face flushes at the touch, longing for more despite knowing he’ll never have it, and he gives a reserved nod. 

Shiro can tell something is troubling Keith, after years of friendship it’s easy, but he can’t pinpoint it, the other having his walls up. As he watches Keith count his cash and hand it to the bartender, he can’t help admire how much he’s grown. His figure will always be feminine but his shoulders have filled out as with the rest of his muscles. Dark hair is braided messily and hangs down his back, stray locks framing his face.

He doesn’t break his gaze fast enough and Keith catches him staring when he turns to face him. “About the wedding,” Shiro notices his long time friend tense, “I would love it for you to be my best man.”

Keith didn’t think he could fall farther than he already has but he does. Bitter bile builds up in his throat, burning his insides, and he swallows it down along with his feelings. He manages the smallest smile, “Of course. I’ll always be there to support you,” _no matter how painful it is._

Feeling the dam about to break, Keith says a quick goodbye and stumbles out of the bar. He gets on his hoverbike and rides into the desert, leaving clouds of dust in his wake. Keith isn’t sure where he’s going, he just knows he needs to get away. The strong wind in his face quickly steal his tears. 

As promised, Keith comes back to Earth for the wedding. The weight of losing Shiro, and being too late, is still heavy and he’s ignored it in space, plunging himself into his work. He stands by Shiro, as promised. And he holds his tongue. Thankfully, Shiro didn’t ask him to bear the rings and accepted his request to not make a speech so he can just focus on keeping himself together. 

The ceremony is lovely, Keith expected nothing less, but he can’t admire the decor or the music or even Shiro’s stunning suit. He barely hears the vows, blood rushing through his ears, and has to bite the inside of his cheek when the minister asks if anyone objects. His blood tastes sour. Keith averts his gaze when Curtis tugs Shiro in by his waist. The crowds cheering is faint and Keith claps. He’s happy for his friend. He really is. But he can’t fathom why he isn’t the one kissing him.

Keith doesn’t dance, not that he thinks he would even at his own wedding. Maybe for Shiro, though. He stares at his empty flute of champagne and sighs, setting it down clumsily. Keith leans back in his chair and wonders if he could slip out without being noticed. “Hey man, you’re really enjoying the champagne, aren’t you?” _Guess that’s a no._

Lance is standing over him, hiding behind his wide smile is worry. “Maybe a little too much,” Keith jokes half-heartedly. He sighs as he takes the seat next to him, leaning back and resting his hands behind his head.

“Why are you sulking? Well, sulking more than usual,” Lance corrects himself, “This is a happy moment.”

Keith snorts and undoes his cufflinks, pocketing them, so he can roll up his sleeves, “Yeah, for Shiro. But not for me,” he mutters.

Lance leans forward with a frown, “What do you mean?” he presses his lips together.

All of Keith’s restrain is thrown out the window, alcohol loosening his mouth, and he desperately wants to spill his thoughts. “I’m in love with Shiro. Have been for years. Hell, probably since I meet him,” he laughs weakly, “But for some fucking reason, I let him get away.”

Lance’s eyes widen and he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, “W-wow, well it makes sense why you’re so upset then,” he clears his throat, “Look, I’m sorry man. I kind of get what you’re going through, to feel someone slip through your fingers a-and...lose them when you didn’t really have a chance to have them in the first place.”

Keith nods slowly and looks up at Lance, the man hanging his head with his hands clasped in his lap, “I just want to forget. Want to drink and fuck so hard I forget about him for a little while.”

Lifting his head, Lance meets Keith’s glazed over eyes, “Y-yeah,” he wets his parted lips with his tongue.

There’s a pregnant pause and Keith stands, a smirk on his face, “Seems like we’re in the same boat,” he slurs. He grabs Lance’s tie and tugs him forward, the other gasping, “Wanna get out of here?” he purrs, “Why don’t we forget together?” Lance swallows thickly, his tie tight around his neck and choking him slightly. He can only muster a nod and lets Keith drag him to his hoverbike. 

It’s been ages since Keith has visited his old house and, even when he does, he refuses to move anything or even clean. It is exactly as it was when they left all those years ago, plus a thick layer of dust. Keith manages to get them there in one piece, Lance clinging to his torso and yelling in his ear when he goes off road and nearly crashes a few times.

Keith stumbles into the house and flicks the switch, thankful when the lights flicker on. He ignores the papers and sketches on the wall from his search for Shiro and heads to the bedroom. Lance stands awkwardly as he watches him tug off the covers, coughing on the dust that flies up into the room.

“You know,” Lance waves his hand to clear the air, “maybe this isn’t the best idea, to-!” He’s cut off as Keith grabs him by the shoulders and pushes him down on the bed, straddling his waist. 

“No, it’s not the best idea,” Keith admits, his hair hanging in his face as he looks down at a very flustered Lance, “but I don’t really have a better one. Now, do you wanna keep being sad or are you going to fuck me?” he purrs as he pushes his hair out of his face with a smirk. 

Swallowing down his shame, Lance tugs Keith down by his shoulders and presses their lips together in an open mouthed kiss. Keith moans approvingly at the roughness and bites at Lance’s bottom lip, nearly drawing blood. It’s rough from the get-go.

Teeth and tongue clash together and desperate hands fumble to remove clothing within minutes. Keith pulls away from the heavy kiss and sits up so he can take off his shirt, both their jackets already on the floor. Lance helps him undo the buttons and he shrugs off the shirt, exposing his toned chest. Keith smirks at the way Lance looks at him, “You too,” he whispers huskily, starting to work on unbuttoning Lance’s shirt.

When they’re both bare chested, Keith scoots up and presses their hips together, earning a moan from Lance. He can feel his hardness and grinds his hips slowly, rubbing his ass against his erection.

“What a fucking tease,” Lance growls, his hips bucking up, and grabs Keith down for another kiss. He drags his nails over his pale skin, causing the other to shiver and whine, and gropes his hips and ass. Keith breaks the kiss to catch his breath, his lips slightly swollen and redder than ever. He latches onto Lance’s collarbone.

Keith sucks marks into his tan skin and leaves bite marks in his wake, moaning into his neck when he feels his hands move up to his nipples. He jolts as nimble fingers play with his nipples, pinching and tugging at the sensitive buds. Keith grinds his hips harder and when he feels his cock throb he decides it’s time to move things along. Quickly undoing the button, Keith shimmies out of his pants before reaching down to tug at Lance’s belt. 

“Let me,” Lance pants, sitting up and getting off the bed so he properly take off his pants, leaving them both in too tight boxer briefs. Keith eyes Lance’s strained erection and hums as he moves onto the floor, getting on his knees. 

Gripping Lance’s thighs to steady himself, Keith nuzzles against the bulge and mouths at it teasingly. He licks him through his underwear and gets the fabric wet with spit. Keith looks up through thick eyelashes when he feels fingers grip his hair, “You gonna keep teasing me forever?” Lance growls as he gives his hair a tug.

A moan slips from Keith’s lips and he plays with the waistband of Lance’s underwear for a moment before tugging them down his thighs. His hard cock springs up and Keith wraps his hand around the thick length, noticing the tuffs of curly hair at the base. He doesn’t waste any time and wraps his lips around the head, immediately taking him halfway.

Keith hears Lance curse and choke out a moan, humming approvingly. He sucks hard and starts bobbing his head, swirling his tongue around the head each time he pulls back. When he feels Lance rock his hips forward, Keith takes more into his mouth, licking the underside. He hallows his cheeks and swallows around the cock, letting Lance hold his head and start to move him. 

Once Keith’s jaw starts to ache, he pulls off and wipes his mouth. Lance lets out a whine and Keith chuckles. “I don’t want you coming unless you’re inside me,” he says as he stands, stretching out his legs. 

Before Lance can ask, Keith opens the second drawer of his nightstand and pulls out a bottle of lube and a condom. They’re old but still good. Keith pulls off his underwear and hands Lance the lube and condom.

“Your turn,” he muses as he sits on the bed and spreads his legs, exposing his glorious thighs and leaking cock. 

“Gladly,” Lance replies with a grin. He pushes Keith down on the bed, much to the other’s liking, and caresses his thighs. Lance is about to lube up his fingers when Keith interrupts.

“You don’t need to finger me. I don’t want to wait,” Keith rolls his eyes when Lance gives him a worried look, “I can take it,” he reassures.

Lance nods and rolls on the condom before generously lathering his cock with lube. He groans as he watches Keith pulls his legs up to his chest, swallowing thickly at the sight of his puckered hole.

When he’s ready, Lance moves forward, his thighs against Keith’s, and presses the head of his cock against his entrance. He hesitates, “Are you-”

“Oh just give it to me!” Keith growls, “Show me you’re really a man.” Without any warning, Lance snaps his hips forward and thrusts into Keith with a moan. He throws his head and grips the sheets tight, clenching around Lance, “Fuck yes, that’s it,” he curses, “Fuck me like you mean it.”

Lance doesn’t need to be told twice and sets a brutal pace, pounding into Keith until the bed shakes under them. Drops of sweat roll down his face and back and he ignores the aching of his muscles. Keith rocks his hips to meet his thrusts and mewls under him, panting.

“Shit, you feel so good, baby,” Lance grunts, sitting up to adjust the angle.

Keith cries out suddenly, “R-right there!” His cock twitches, leaking precum, and he reaches down to jerk himself off, “Keep calling me that.”

Aiming for the same spot, Lance’s thrusts become erratic and he feels pleasure pool in his gut. “You look so good like this baby, taking my cock so well. God you’re so tight,” he whispers between moans, “You gonna come for me? Come from my cock baby.”

It only takes a few thrusts until Keith is pushed over the edge. His muscles pull tight and he squeezes his eyes tight and, “Shiro!” he cries out loud and clear as he releases over his stomach.

Too close to his own orgasm, Lance is unable to comment on hearing the other man’s name. He comes with a grunt, riding out his orgasm as Keith recovers, panting hard. Lance out slowly and cleans them up, his legs wobbling under him. He collapses on the bed with a heavy sigh, turning his head to look at Keith, “Should we talk about that?”

The room is heavy with the scent of sex and sweat. Keith pushes his damp hair back and groans, “I’d rather not.”

With a sigh, Lance props his head up with his arm, laying on his side. “You just screamed another dude’s name while I was fucking you,” he says dryly.

Keith opens his eyes just a bit and shrugs, stretching his legs, “You knew as well as I did what this was, Lance. Don’t look so surprised.”

Lance can’t help laugh and shrugs, “I can’t argue with that,” he pauses, “Mind if we cuddle?”

Without answering, Keith rolls onto his side and shuffles close. He loosely wraps his arms around the other’s waist and buries his face in his chest. Lance smiles faintly and holds Keith close, absentmindedly playing with his hair. 

“You should tell him,” he states the obvious. He can feel Keith sigh against his chest.

“I know,” he mutters, “I’ll try to. Before I leave.” He thinks for a moment and lifts his head, “Will you help me?”

Lance cocks his brow, “Will I help you tell him?” Keith only nods in response. “I’ll do whatever I can. We are friends after all, right?”

With a smile, Keith nuzzles back into the crook of Lance’s shoulder, “Right,” he whispers. He’s thankfully sleep takes him quickly, leaving his sorrow behind for at least a little while.

_____________________________________________________

Shiro isn’t expecting anyone this morning. But there’s a knock on the door nonetheless. He hums softly and turns down the stove dial, the flame weakening. Shiro leaves the scrambled eggs and bacon to cook. He’s made them so many times by now he knows exactly how long they take to finish. He passes Curtis, who’s intently reading on his tablet on the couch, and opens the door.

“Lance?” he asks in surprise when he sees his friend standing outside, “Is everything okay?”

“Of course,” Lance replies reassuringly, “Keith sent me here.”

“K-Keith?” he swallows thickly, “Is he here?” he asks as he looks around, expecting to see him behind Lance.

“No,” he replies with a sigh, “He left a few hours ago. Went back to the Blades.” 

Shiro’s shoulders slump slightly and he nods slowly, hiding his disappointment, “Oh.” He watches Lance take a folded up piece of paper from his pocket, “Is that from him?”

Lance nods and holds out the paper, “We, uh, hung out after the wedding, he wasn’t feeling too well, and gave me things to hand off to you,” he explains, “He’s sorry he couldn’t come himself.”

Shiro takes the paper slowly and holds it tight, “Thanks. Do you know when he’ll be back?” he asks, lowering his voice.

Lance shrugs sadly, “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me,” he replies. He spots Curtis on the couch peering to see what’s going on and clears his throat, “Well, I’ll leave you two. Have a good day.” 

“Okay, yeah. See you around,” Shiro says with a wave before closing the door. He turns around and furrows his brow, the paper heavy in his tight fist. 

“Was that Lance?” Curtis calls from the couch, “What did he want?” he asks louder when he doesn’t get a response. 

“Nothing,” Shiro responds, staying in the doorway, “He just wanted to apologize for leaving early yesterday.” His husband hums in response.

Shiro stays still for a moment, calming his breathing, before he unfolds the note. His breath hitches the moment he starts reading.

_Shiro,_

_It pains me deeply that I’m unable to see you in person and tell you these words out loud, but I can’t bring myself to. So I guess a note will have to do._

_I love you. As a brother and as a friend. But also as a lover and life partner. I have loved you since I was a teenager. I wouldn’t be surprised if you noticed. I thought I would grow out of it but I didn’t. My love for you only grew stronger everyday._

_All I want is for you to be happy. But I can’t watch you be happy with someone else. I still dream of being with you and I don’t think that’ll ever stop. I shouldn’t have fooled myself into thinking I could have you. The thought that maybe, in another reality, we are happily in love soothes my heart for a while._

_It won’t be good for me to reach out to you. Lance said this should help me move on. Maybe distance will help (not that it really did before). I hope to see you again._

_With All the Love in the Universe,_

_Keith_

Shiro forgets to breathe. He clutches his chest through his shirt. Tears hit the note and slowly spread over the paper, smudging the ink slightly. Shiro gasps and wipes his face, keeping the note out of harm's way and carefully cleaning the tears off. His mind is spinning and his vision blurs with tears and his hands start shaking an-

“Honey? Is breakfast almost ready?” Curtis’ voice pulls him out of his thoughts. He lifts his head and blinks quickly, hoping his eyes aren’t too red.

“I-In a few minutes.” He takes a shaky breath and carefully folds the paper, making sure not to create any new creases, before tucking it into his pocket. He’ll find a safe place to keep it. Shiro heads back into the kitchen and finds the eggs and bacon are done. They’re a bit burnt around the edges but Shiro can’t bring himself to care. He splits them between two plates and sets them on the table.

Shiro takes his seat and stares at the plate. He questions how he got here. And what he could have-no, should have-done differently. No matter how much it hurts, he forces himself to accept that he chose a path he can’t back out of anymore. 

_Maybe in another reality._ The thought soothes him for only a moment. 

Curtis joins him eventually. He leans down to kiss his cheek, “Thanks, darling. It looks delicious,” he says before he sits across from him. Shiro forces a smile and starts eating. He’s already bored of scrambled eggs and bacon.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos if you enjoyed it and comment too if you want!
> 
> I do take requests/commissions; contact me on my [ tumblr ](http://being-gay-on-ice.tumblr.com/) or leave a comment on this fic!


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